Rail guard



March 18, 1941. J. H. AssELlN RAIL GUARD Filed 001;. l, 1938 /V/////0V/////////////////fl/ ///A ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 18, i941 UNITED STATES RAIL GUARD James H. Asselin, Hubbard Woods, 111., assignor to Asselin Crossing 00., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application October 1,

8 Claims.

The present invention has to do with railway track equipment, and more especially relates to rail guards for use in connection with crossings.

It is the primary object of the invention to produce a rail guard of simple character, but strong and sturdy in its structural features so as to afford long life and to be highly resistant to the shocks and stresses imposed by the passage of trains, and particularly those of the presentday high-speed type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail guard wherein is embodied highly efficient means for cushioning the structure, whereby to absorb the shocks'and jars of traffic and reduce the noise incident thereto.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

The form of the invention herein shown and described is considered as a practical embodiment thereof and expresses a concrete adaptation of the invention to the uses and purposes for which it is intended. The invention, however, is susceptible to change, modification and variation so that the present disclosure is to be taken from the illustrative standpoint and not as imposing limitation or restriction on the invention.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a rail guard constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view, as on the line 2--2, Fig. l.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawing, the numeral I0 designates a base plate which is of rectangular formation, relatively long to meet the purposes for which it is intended, and of uniform width. It is preferably formed of rolled steel. In the practical use of the hereindescribed rail guard the plate I0 is spiked to the rail ties, as indicated at II, or otherwise held in place in the track structure.

An inclined bracing flange I2, also preferably of rolled steel, extends longitudinally of the base plate I0, being disposed thereon at the inner edge of said plate I0 as the rail guard is incorporated in the track structure. The bracing flange I2 is a continuous length thereof and has its lower basal edge in contact with the plate III and welded thereto, as by seams I3, thus rigidly afiixing the flange I2 to the plate I0.

1938, Serial No. 232,843

At the upper edgev of the bracing flange I2 it is provided with a vertical contact face I4, and this face I4 is designed to be contacted by one side of the head of a guard rail' I5 in order to take up the lateral thrust that may be imposed upon said guard rail.

The numeral I6 designates a running rail which is seated also upon the base plate I0, but in spaced relation to the guard rail I5, and interposed between the rails I5 and I6 is a filler block II the upper and lower facesof which are grooved to provide flange ways, I8. The upper flangeway I8 receives the flanges of the car-wheels as they passover the running rail I6.

A plurality of the filler blocks IT is employed in order to maintain the separation of the rails I5 and I6 throughout the length of the guard and preserve the gauge of the flange ways.

The filler blocks II conform to the shape of the rail heads, their webs and the base flanges thereof. In order to maintain the filler blocks H in associated relation with the guard rails I5, and to tie the latter to the bracing flange I2, each of the filler blocks is provided with a pluralityof transverse bolt openings I9, these openings registering with similar openings 20 formed in the web of the guard rail I5, and said openings 20 likewise register with bolt openings 2 I that are formed in the bracing flange I2. A plurality of tie bolts 22 are seated in the openings I9, 20 and 2|, the head of each bolt occupying a countersunk recess 23, which recesses are formed in the sides of the filler blocks II. In this manner thetie-bolts 22 pierce the filler blocks II, the guard rail I5 and the bracing flange I2 and tie the filler blocks and the guard rail to the bracing flange- I2. The threaded shanks of the bolts 22 project beyond the openings 21 of the bracing flange I2 and have fitted thereto fastening nuts 24. A bearing head 25 surroundseach of the openings 2|, its outer face being vertical, and thus presenting a square surface, and between said;bearing heads 25 and the fastening nuts 24 lock washers 26 are arranged. The bearing heads 25-are secured-to the bracing flange I2 by we1ding,asat21. The bases of the guard rail I5 and the running rail I6 are seated upon an elastic" cushion'ZB, preferably in the form of a rubber padJWhi'ch cushion is arranged upon the base plate I0 so as to be interposed between the latter and the guard and running rails, and said cushion tapers in cross-section from its outer edge, or that beneath the running rail I6, to its inner edge, or that beneath the guard rail I5. At the outer edge of the plate I0 is a stop strip 29, which is welded to the base plate ID, as at 30, and this strip defines a boundary between which, and the bracing flange I2, a recess is provided for confining the cushioning pad 28 The stop strip 29 also provides reinforced points through which the spikes II, at the outer edge of the base plate ID, pass.

The rails I 5 and I6 are mounted in canted relation to the base plate I0, and the tapering crosssection of the cushion 28 serves to maintain the rails so canted. Thus, as the beveled treads of the car wheels pass over the head of the running that the metal of the rail head is prevented flowing ofi due to uneven contact or engagement of the wheel treads with the rail head.

The ends of the guard rail I5 are beveled and flared, as at 3|, and the outer ends of the filler blocksthereto are also flared, as at 32. Thus'the wheel flanges are guided into the flange way between the heads of the rails I5 and I6 and assured of proper contact with the running rail I6.

At the inner side face of the bracing flange I2 the same is provided with a plurality of lateral inclined bracing struts 33, these being connected to the base plat In by welding, as at 34. They serve to reinforce the bracing flange I2 in resisting the lateral thrust imposed upon the bracing flange I2, by pressure of the guard rail- I5-.

When the hereindescribed rail guard is incorporated in a track structure, it is apparent that as the car wheels pass over the rurming rail I6 any lateral thrust of suchrail Will be transmitted through the filler blocks I! and the guard rail I5 to the inclined bracing flange I2, but resisted by this flange and the bracing struts33. The strains and stresses, as well as the shocks, will be taken up by the pad 28, and the base plate In relieved of such strains and stresses. Further-' more, the noise incidental to the passage of traffic will be substantially reduced due to the soundinsulating effect of the pad 28.

By use of the stop strip 29 in cooperation with the bracing flange I2 the guard rail I5 is held in position pagainst lateral thrust that may be im'-' osed on the guard rail by pressure from the wheel flanges, and inasmuch as the stop strip 29engages the base of the running rail I6 and thereby ties the same into assembly with the guard rail I5 there is no displacement of the running rail and pressure that may be exerted against the run-' ning rail from the guard rail is efiectually resisted. 1

In the assembled relation of the filler blocks H, the guard rail I5, the bracing flange I2 and the tie-bolts 22, there is formed a substantially rigid structure which serves to prevent rotational movement of the running rail I6 with respect-to the guard rail. The stop strip 29 and this rigid structure also provide means for restricting movement of the running rail I6 laterally with respect to the guard rail I5 but permits longitudinal movement of the running rail I6. The strip 29, combining with the rigid structure, maintains the aforesaid relation of the running rail to the guard rail.

I claim: i

1. A rail guard, comprising a base plate, a continuous bracing flange fixedly mounted thereon, a running rail also mounted on said base plate and spaced from said bracing flange, a guard rail also mounted on said base plate adjacent to the bracing flange and in contact with the latter,

I! which are immediately contiguous the" aforesaid relation of the running rail to said guard rail.

.2. A rai1 guard, comprising a base plate, a continuous bracing flange fixedly mounted thereon,

a running rail also mounted on said base plate and spaced from said bracing flange, a guard rail also mounted on said base plate adjacent to the bracing flange and in contact with the latter, filler' means interposed between the guard rail and the running rail, means for tieing said filler means, said guard rail and said bracing flange in assembled relation to form a substantially rigid structure, said structure serving to prevent rotational movement of said running rail with respect to the guard rail, means for restricting movement of the running rail laterally with respect to said guard rail including the aforesaid rigid structure but permitting longitudinal movement of the running rail, said last-mentioned means combining with said rigid structure to maintain the aforesaid relation of the running rail to said guard rail, and cushioning means interposed between theguard and running rails and the base plate.

3. Arail guard, comprising a base plate, a continuous' bracing flange fixedly mounted thereon, a running rail also mounted on said base plate and spaced from said bracing flange, a guard rail also mounted on said base plate adjacent to the bracing flange and in contact with the latter, filler means interposed between the guard rail and the running rail, the guard rail and the running rail being canted, means for tieing said filler means,- said guard rail and said bracing flange in assembled relation to form a substantially rigid.

, conformably with the canting of the rails.

4. A rail guard, comprising a base plate, a continuous bracing flange fixedly mounted ther on, a running rail also mounted on said base plate and spaced from said bracing flange, a guard rail also mounted on said base plate adjacent to the bracing flange and in contact with the latter, filler means interposed between the guard rail and the running rail, means for tieing said filler means, said guard rail and said bracingflange in assembled relation to form a substantially rigid structure, said structure serving to prevent rotational movement of said running rail with respect 'to the guard rail, means for restricting movement of the running rail laterally with respect to said Iguard rail including the 75 aforesaid rigid structure but permitting longitudinal movement of the running rail, said lastmentioned means combining with said rigid structure to maintain the aforesaid relation of the running rail to said guard rail, and a plurality of tie-bolts piercing the filler blocks, the guard rail and the bracing flange for tieing the filler blocks and the guard rail to said bracing flange.

5. A rail guard, comprising a base plate, a continuous bracing flange fixedly mounted thereon, a running rail also mounted on said base plate and spaced from said bracing flange, a guard rail also mounted on said base plate adjacent to the bracing flange and in contact with the latter, filler means interposed between the guard rail and the running rail, means for tieing said filler means, said guard rail and said bracing flange in assembled relation to form a substantially rigid structure, said structure serving to prevent rotational movement of said running rail with respect to the guard rail, means for restricting movement of the running rail laterally with'respect to said guard rail including the aforesaid rigid structure but permitting longitudinal movement of the running rail, said last-mentioned means combining with said rigid structure to maintain the aforesaid relation of the running rail to said guard rail, and a plurality of tiebolts piercing the filler blocks, the guard rail and the bracing flange for tieing the filler blocks and the guard rail to said bracing flange, the filler blocks being provided with countersunk recesses for receiving the heads of said tie-bolts.

6. A rail guard, comprising a base plate, a continuous bracing flange fixedly mounted thereon, a running rail also mounted on said base plate and spaced from said bracing flange, a guard rail also mounted on said base plate adjacent to the bracing flange and in contact with the latter, filler means interposed between the guard rail and the running rail, means for tieing said filler means, said guard rail and said bracing flange in assembled relation to form a substantially rigid structure, said structure serving to prevent lateral movement in one direction and also preventing rotational movement of said running rail with respect to the guard rail, and means associated with the base plate at the outside edge of the running rail for tieing the latter into assembly with the guard rail and cooperating with the bracing flange to prevent displacement of the running rail under wheel flange pressure that may be exerted from the guard rail, said rigid structure and the last-mentioned means permitting longitudinal movement of the running rail.

'7. A rail guard, comprising a base plate, a continuous bracing flange fixedly mounted thereon, a running rail also mounted on said base plate and spaced from said bracing flange, a guard rail also mounted on said base plate adjacent to the bracing flange and in contact With the latter,

flller means interposed between the guard rail with the guard rail, said stop strip cooperating with the bracing flange to prevent displacement of the running rail under Wheel flange pressure that may be exerted from the guard rail, said rigid structure and the last-mentioned means permitting longitudinal movement of the rimning rail.

8. A rail guard, comprising a base plate, a continuous bracing flange fixedly mounted thereon adjacent to one of its edges and provided at its inner face and at its upper end with a vertical contact face, a guard rail mounted on said base immediately adjacent to the bracing flange, the

head of the guard rail being seated on the bracing flange, a stop strip associated with the base plate at the edge of the latter opposite tothe bracing flange, a running rail arranged adjacent to said stop strip and in contact therewith, filler 'means interposed between the guard rail and the running rail, means for tieing said filler means, said guard rail and said bracing flange in as sembled relation to form a substantially rigid structure, said structure serving to prevent rotational movement of said running rail with respect to the guard rail, means for restricting movement of the running rail laterally with respect to said guard rail including the aforesaid rigid structure but permitting longitudinal movement of the running rail, said last-mentioned means combining with said rigid structure to maintain the aforesaid relation of the running rail to said guard rail, said stop strip cooperating with the bracing flange to prevent displacement of the running rail under pressure that may be exerted from the guard rail, and cushioning means interposed between the guard and running rails and the base plate and held therein by the bracing flange and the stop strip.

JAMES H. ASSELIN. 

